"Unless a miracle happens, the old YWCABuilding at 830 S. Michigan Ave., one of the oldest buildings on the Michigan Avenue Streetwall [historic district], will likely be demolished in the near future.

"The owner this week applied for a demolition permit, after repeated citations by the city’s Building Department. The parties were in court today at the DaleyCenter and the case has been continued to November 12. Alderman [Bob] Fioretti’s office was there, as were we and some neighbors.

"The building’s existing timber structure is truly in abysmal shape—largely due to decades of absolute neglect by former owners (Johnson Publishing the most notable). There was a recent inspection by the city’s building commissioner, as well as a structural report by an outside engineering firm. No demo[lition] order by the city yet (for dangerous conditions), but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s next, a la the Lexington Hotel back in the mid-90s.

"The notion of propping up and saving the façade has been discussed, but the costs of that appear excessive and there’s no obvious funding source."

Posted at 04:03:01 PM

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Count me as one who hopes there isn't a miracle.
A truly boring & mediocre building where the minimal decoration was just tacked on as an afterthought.
I've gone past this hundreds of times & never noticed it.
It won't be missed.

Timber-framed buildings are tricky - it's a historic aspect that should probably have select examples of preserved, but this may not be the best one to do it for. Letting it go, but demanding any replacement be something at least as stunning yet tasteful as the new Spertus building seems like a perfectly reasonable solution. Replacing historic structures that have to come down with buildings that have a fighting chance of being new historic structures is a great way to preserve the spirit of our architectural heritage.

It's just too bad the City didn't have the balls to force that on the bland, boring, insignificant Ritz Residences being constructed on North Michigan Ave.

As a neighbor it is aweful to have to look down at this building from above and see that there isn't even a roof anymore. The architectual features are worth saving, but the structural integrity is definately trumping at option. I keep waiting for the building to collapse. It is unfortunate that the likely replacement for this building will be an extremely out of proportion highrise totally destroying the Michigan Ave Streetwall.

I live in the neighborhood and am tired of seeing the scaffolding. The fact that its across from Grant Park also makes the neighborhood look blighted to visitors. About time someone did something one way or another. This city tolerates boarded up / scaffolded buildings for too long. Force owners to do something, or condemn.

Tear down an old building? OF COURSE!!!
This is Chicago- the City that had the greatest architectural legacy in America, only to watch it fall by the wrecking ball and abandon its preservation efforts for the paper thin false front of FACADE-ISM

We should pour a giant, solid concrete cube and paint it beige as an homage to the winding down of the 3rd school of Chicago Architecture - the painted concrete condo over parking garage. Chiseled into the side could be the names of politically connected developers and their machine democrat up zoning attorneys who magically decide who can and who cant improve their property and who can build 60 stories of crap, they are the true heros. In the corner we will inset a few of the masonry trim details to preserve something of the past.

Sure, this building's face is unimpressive at the moment, but that's mainly due to a paint job that's flaking now and that was boring (and wrongheaded) when it was new. The original colors were probably all tawny browns & reds & golds. With the scaffolding & plywood up, you can't see it anymore, but those slabs of dull tan stone at sidewalk level are Jurrasic limestone, and when it rained they used to come alive with pattern & color, turning the whole base of the building into a pink-&-gold Jackson Pollock painting fifty feet long.

And if the design itself is modest & self-affacing, well, what's wrong with that? Not everything needs to be a Big Deal.

They should tear down the Johnson Publishing building while they're at it. That has got to be the fugliest building on South Michigan Avenue (just like the Marriot is the worst on North Michigan Avenue). An ersatz parking garage masquerading as a corporate headquarters.

The YWCA is a contributing building representing the 1882-1930 period just as the Johnson publishing is representative of they period when it was built. You are unable to see the interesting details of the first few floors due to the scaffolding but I can only imagine the entry, window and open-air loggia on the second floor. I particularly like the unique windows on the two top floors from which you could have looked north and south along Michigan Ave. I much prefer the original red brick as seen in the Chicago Travelogue done in I believe 1949 which a neighbor forwarded to me. My concern is that it's land marked facade along with the Crane building helps balance the block architecturally. I love the new buildings of interest like the tower at Roosevelt and LSD but it's the integration of all periods of architecture in the city that residents and visitors alike enjoy and appreciate.

From the first masquerade ball of the 16th century little has changed except that now are arranged like a costume party or a masquarade mask for all to enjoy, not just the upper classes straight. In those days, were elaborate affairs, especially at stake the aristocrats of the society, especially in Venice.